Global shipping company DS NORDEN and renewable energy firm MASH Makes have successfully completed the world's first commercial vessel trial using biofuel produced through a carbon-negative process, according to MASH Makes's release.
The trial involved a roundtrip voyage from Singapore to Brazil, during which the vessel utilized 65 tonnes of a fuel blend containing 20% MASH Makes biofuel in its auxiliary engine.
Henrik Røjel, Head of Decarbonisation and Climate Solutions at NORDEN, stated, "This trial proves that MASH Makes’ biofuel is suitable for marine engines, and it marks an important milestone towards bringing the fuel into our operation."
The biofuel, produced via pyrolysis of agricultural residues, is designed to be a drop-in solution compatible with existing marine engines, requiring no modifications. It aligns with ISO8217 marine fuel standards and offers a potential pathway for shipowners to reduce emissions without awaiting new infrastructure developments.
Jakob Bejbro Andersen, CEO of MASH Makes, commented, "Our biofuel meets the technical requirements of the shipping industry and can be used in unmodified engines. It’s a seamless, scalable alternative ready to cut emissions today."
For every tonne of biofuel produced, MASH Makes generates 1.8 tonnes of biochar, which sequesters 3.14 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne when applied to soil. This results in a total of 5.7 tonnes of CO₂ being sequestered per tonne of biofuel produced.
The company is collaborating with the Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping to apply the Center’s life cycle methodology to its biochar and biofuel pathway, focusing on assessing full system emissions and the role of co-products like biochar in maritime decarbonization.
Founded in 1871, DS NORDEN is a Danish shipping company headquartered in Hellerup, Denmark. The company operates a fleet of dry cargo and product tankers, providing global freight services.
MASH Makes is a renewable energy company that originated as a project at the Technical University of Denmark in 2015. The company focuses on converting agricultural residues into renewable energy products through pyrolysis, producing biofuel and biochar. Currently, MASH Makes operates a production plant in Karnataka, India, processing 23,700 tonnes of agricultural waste annually to produce 3,400 tonnes of bio-oil. A second plant under construction aims to triple this capacity, with the goal of removing over one gigatonne of CO₂ by 2040.